Means and method for shipping automobile bodies



Feb. 21, 1928.

H. P. MEREDITH ET AL MEANS AND METHOD FOR SHIPPING AUTOMOBILE BODIES Filed April 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 21, 1928.

H. P. MEREDITH ET AL MEANS AND METHOD FOR SHIPPING AUTOMOBILE BODIES Filed April 2, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 2 /Z#fl\ Patented Feb. 21, 1928. f

UNITED; STATES 1,659,660 PATENT OFFICE.-

HARRY r. mnnnnrrn AND LEO I. FRIEnLAnnnEn, or DETROIT. ICHI A MEANS AND METHOD FORSI'IIPPING AUTOMOBILE BODIES.

Application filed April 2, 1925. Serial. No. 20,045.

It is the primary object of our invention to provide simple and economical means for the shipment of automobile bodies in freight cars, to so arrange the bodies in the car as to accommodate a. maximum numberof the same, and to provide for easy andfquic-k loading and unloading. I

More specifically, the objects of our invention are to provide means whereby automo- H) bile bodies are loaded transversely of a freight car, in double decked relation, and means whereby each successive body is secured in place by bolts, nails or the like, applied on one side only thereof, which side shall be that nearest the exit door :of the freight car, whereby persons loading the bodies need not go throughthesame to secure or loosen the securing means on the side of the body farthest removed from the 2 eXit door of the freight cars l g It is a still further specific object of our invention to provide eflicientand economical means for securing the bodies in place over bodies loaded on the floor of the car. With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in the arrangement, combination and construction of-the various parts of our improved device and the methods utilized therein, as described in the specification, claimed in our claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings in which: j r

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of a freight car, on. the line of the exit doors thereof, showing our inventionfl Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2 -2 of Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a detailedfview showing the securing means utilized. on one side of bodies being shipped.

Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken on line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken, on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. i

We have shown a freight car having a top 6, sides 7 and 8, anda floor 9. The sides 7 and 8 are provided with usual support and brace members 10, extending vertically thereof. A metal strip 11 is secured to the members 10, extending longitudinall of the freight car.

Positioned at intervals along the strips 11 are a plurality of brackets consisting of a hook portion i2 adapted to engageover thcstrips 11 and a pocket portion integral with the hook, portion, having a bottom 13 bers form in effect a second floor in the freight car, or supporting elements for bodies to be disposed over those Positioned on the floor of the car, and are secured against vertical movements in the pockets by bolts 41. i

We have shown a plurality of automobile bodies indicated generally as 16, some of which are mounted onthe floor of the freight car and some on the channel bars 15. All of the bodies are provided with cross pieces 17 securedto the bottoms thereof, and by which thebodies may be carried. These cross pieces have two openings, 42 and 43, adjacent each end thereof whereby one of saidjopenings will align withmeans on the body for securing the two together whether the piece is used in the front or the back of the body. j

In other words, it frequently happens that the attaching means in the rear of the body arespaced greater than those at the front, and a pair of openings permit use of the piece in either the front or back. The ends "of the cross pieces 17 are cut on an an is,

the angles on the ends of the left handside of the body (considering the freight car door to be on the right) being opposite to those on the right hand side of thebody asindicated at 18 and 19 in Fig. 3, so that when the ends of the cross pieces are brought into abutting relation, a joint 20 is formed@ When securing thebodies in a freight car, a short piece 22 is first secured in the end of the car by nails or bolts 23, extending to the floor 9 for the lower bodies, and into the first channel beam 15 for the upper bodies. This piece 22 has its free end cut on an angle similar to the angle on the right hand side of the cross pieces under the body, and the left hand sides of the cross pieces are brought to bear against such free ends, thus forming the first joint 20 and preventin vertical displacement of the body 16 at thi point. The

right end of th cross" piece 17 of the first body may then be secured by; similar bolts or nails 23 to the floor or to the channel beam, thus securing the body in place. This process'is repeated, the joints 20 between-' each setof stripsl'? being. made, until a series of bodies extending from the end of the freight car to the eXit door-thereof are in'place, "t being possible to secure all of the .bodies-inplacefrom the exit door side thereof Without I necessitating the Workman passing-through the automobile bodies to socure. the sidefarthest removed'from the exit door;

ln praetice-the bodies in. the'upper part of.-

thefreight car are loaded'first and then those onrtheiioor of thefreight car arersecnred in place;v Whenamleadmgth'elo rer bodles are first remoredandthen the-upper bodies-are removed: by: lifting-them, removing the chane neli'beams; ands-lowering them toithe floor.

It willibe-readily seen that the channel bea1ns-'15 are securely held against accidentaldisplacement but. may be easily removed by simply li-fting them. from the pockets.

Itiavillibe apparent that the bodiesare securedto the stripsil'i' before the 'stripsare secured 111: place; and. inasmuch as. often times .thefloors of.freight cars are uneven sothat-soine difiiculty is-eXpe-rienced in. sliding the bodiesion theircrosspieces 17 across the floor, we-have providedbuttons 24 on. the bottom: ofi'the:erosspieces: 17, adapted to. act

asucastersito :betterafacilitate. sliding the bod-.

ies across the lie o-rr-of :thefreight car.

IlIi'Wlll beobvious thatyarious changes may be? madein tl1e-.--arrangement, combination and construction of the various parts-ofzour improved ClQZlCGL and-iof ith'e methods. utilized byithem, ithout departing; from the spirit ofiiour inventiom andit is our intention to cover by:ouric la;ims, suchichangesias may be.

reasonably included w-ithinthe scope thereof.

lVhatiWe .cla-im 1s: 1. combination. an automobile body haNlTl'g; 21-1 member secured to thebottom thereof and; extendingacross the body, a second membenad acentOne. en d said first member, a. supporting;element upon .Wlnch said membcrsrest and towhich said-second. member islattached and means for. securing;

releasing the securing means on one side only and then releasing the other securing means by pulling the body from the said first side thereof r 3. In combination, supporting means, au-

tomobile bodies having cross pieces thereunsaid supporting;means, adjacent ends of said members being; cutaway at the tops thereof from: the bottoms thereof, said ends being insertedrin the. cut awayportions of said first members, and means for securing the other ends of said second pair ofsaid supporting means.

5. in combination, an automobile body,a pair of spaced cross pieces under said "body, a pair ofispaced attaching means on' said bodyfor eachof said pieces, one pair being differently spaced from theother, and four spaced openings in :said cross pieces permit tingsecuringjof either of said pieces toeither of vsaid.pairs of attaching means.

6. In combination, a freight carihaving longitudinally disposed strips on the side Walls thereof, pocket-s secured to said strips, members extended across said carihavingg their ends disposed insaid pockets, and an tomobile bodies supported by said members.

7. In combination, a. freight c r having; longitudinally disposed strips onLtl'ie side Walls thereof, hooks engaging said strips-and having pockets on the free ends thereof, members extending across said car having their ends disposed in said. pool; z. and automobile bodies supported by said niembersh 8. In combination, a freight car having longitudinally disposed strips on, the side Wallsthereof, brackets having hooks on:one end thereof engaging said strip s. v and a pocket having a bottom andsidedwal'ls on the other end thereof," cross pieces extended across. said car and having their ends disposed in saidpockets, and automobile-bndies supported by said members;

HARRY MEREDlTHi LEUI. FRIEDLAEN E' t. 

